of Schuylkill River Greenways

Schuylkill River Greenways owns the historic Douglassville Bridge, which serves as a major river crossing for the Schuylkill River Trail. In recent years, strong storms have knocked down trees and thrown branches into the river, causing them to pile up beneath the old foundations of this bridge, which has short spans and openings.

Over the past 20 years, SRG has conducted two cleanups in this area, both from the bridge, which resulted in the closure of the trail. Thanks to the involvement of several property owners, this cleanup will be done from the north bank of the river, making the project much more manageable. This will also allow for cleanup after future major storms, greatly reducing the likelihood of pileups.

WHO: Schuylkill River Greenways

What: Removal of debris from the Schuylkill River at the Douglassville Bridge.

When: The project is underway and is scheduled to be completed in early September. Work is ongoing.

Where: Douglassville Bridge, accessible from the Morlatton Village Trailhead of the SRT: 480 Old Philadelphia Pike, Douglassville.

The total cost of this project is estimated to be just under $200,000, raised entirely through Schuylkill River Greenways fundraising efforts. While the organization receives grants to build the new trail, the responsibility for maintenance projects like this one rests solely with the nonprofit. To meet the increasing demands for trail maintenance, SRG is currently conducting a $5 million Stewardship Fund campaign to establish a foundation to maintain the trail now and in the future.

At the end of the project, SRG will organize voluntary clean-up events to remove all garbage, waste and plastic from the project site and dispose of it properly.